


Parktale: Animatronics on the Loose

by Sephypsycologist



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Reader Is Not Chara, Reader Is Not Frisk, Reader-Insert, deTECTIVE READER
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-06
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2019-06-06 03:56:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15186227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sephypsycologist/pseuds/Sephypsycologist
Summary: You are a private investigator hired to investigate the seven mysterious disappearances since the closing of Mount Ebbot Amusement Park.The new owner wants to revive it, but can only do so if the stigma around it is dispelled. Will you find the truth, or something even more terrifying?





	1. Stage 1, Part 1

The old chain link door creaked as you pushed it inward.

It felt unnatural, honestly, to be back here as an adult. You and your parents had come here every summer for vacation, to enjoy the city and this park. But now it was empty and isolated, closed ten long years with seven children having vanished in that time. It was disturbing, knowing one of your happiest memories was now tainted that way.

But this was your job, to investigate what had happened to them. Maybe they had run away from home. Maybe they were just hiding in these many old buildings and nothing was amiss at all.

You sighed, pushing that optimism away. You had to be ready to find bodies…possibly long dead bodies. That was just fact.

Walking through the fanciful entry arch, your shoes made echoing foot falls on the brick of the hub area. No lights, save the security lights in the new section to your right that was opening in a few short months.

Flashlight was the only way to go, and you shine yours toward the huge building with broken neon signs on your left. The Arcade, one of the first places you ever saw a video game and where you practiced your skills at claw machines. Also, you laugh softly as you think of it, where you first fell in love with a singer.

Silly little you, barely old enough to play half the games, would sit in rapt attention as Sans would sing. Ah, you missed that voice, especially now, knowing he’s been left alone so long that he’ll probably never sing again. At least you’ll get to see him one last time.

As big as the arcade is, you start your systematic search, while keeping in mind any blind corners or hiding spaces you’d found as a child here. The machines were dark and covered in cobwebs, the claw grabbers still filled with decade old toys and prizes, as if everyone had simply walked out. Such a waste, you though, seeing old toys you know younger you would have snapped up. The machines alone must be worth some good money, and collectors love vintage toys.

A Muffet plushie stares at you cheekily from the inside of the nearest machine, and a spider ironically crawls over it as you watch. “Well, Miss Muffet,” you mutter softly as you smile, “I bet at least you are happy that your little friends have free roam of the place. I really don’t want to disturb them, so I apologize in advance if I do.”

Every step you take is muffled by the thick black and neon carpet on the floor. Even after years of dust collecting, you can still make out he indented triangles of yellow, green, orange, and blue against the black background. The only thing missing from this place to be a perfect replica is the smell of grease from the food court in the back, but that’s asking a bit much.

You haven’t even found a single footprint in the grime besides your own by the time you reach the back. Spread before you is the sunken dining area with the food vendors to your far right and the animatronics’ stage right in front of you. Curtains drawn, of course, and you frown to see an ‘out of order’ sign over the “barracks” where Undyne usually appears. How could they try to do a show without the conflict character?

“Well that’s just no fun, now is it, fellas?” you say mostly toward the band you know is behind the main curtain. “How can we have fun if our ol’ buddy Undyne is out of order? Who do we cheer up?”

You let out a soft giggle, letting your own voice calm the tingling feeling of being watched that you’ve had since you entered. It was stupid, and you knew it, but you always felt that way here. Even when you were young, you had the strange feeling there was more to this place, and it had soaked into every fiber of the building by now. The fact the machines were still slightly warm to the touch, or that there was a void in the dust of the air hockey table, and that strange tingling in your chest right now as you stared at the stage, all of that was making you feel like you didn’t belong anymore.

Like adult you had lost something that allowed you safety here.

Talking was a good idea now. “Well, Sans, Papy, Muffet, it’s been ten years, but I came back.” Go back into your memories as you search around for any clue toward any of the kids’ who may have been here. “Might not recognize your biggest fan after so long, but I still remember. Gosh, how many hundreds of quarters did you guys and your games pull out of my pocket? But it was worth it.” Nothing so far, under the tables that still have a rainbow of old gum beneath.

“I loved that one song you did solo, Sans. I remember the tune but the words…well, I haven’t been in here for ten years. Can you blame me?” You started to hum to a slow, syncopated tune..

“Da da da doo doo doo la la la la la la, I won’t tell, not another soul….” It was so close, the words to that sad little tune. You remember Papy would always have droopy ears when his brother finished it, then perk up and encourage Sans to be happy. It was a party every day, after all, and their little guests loved him very much. “but then I have to go.”

You sang the song to yourself as you looked in the food stands, finding a surprising mess of old ketchup packets littering the floor. Why just ketchup? Might be a clue. You snap a photo with you camera and sigh. Your old film-using camera was a failsafe. Sure, people could delete a phone, and you did take a picture with that, too, but there weren’t a lot of young people familiar enough with a dinosaur like this to know where the film was, or even how to mess with it if they found it.

Still, you came back as you finished the song, but the last line stuck in your throat. You coughed instead of singing, from the dust, and froze when a deep baritone whispered in tune behind you, “it’s raining somewhere else.”

“Who are you?” you do not move. You do not turn around. Whoever this is should not be here and you are very much aware how vulnerable you are as an unarmed person alone in this place. No one can hear you scream this far out of town, this far from any other human.

There’s no answer, and you think as you cautiously hold your camera against your chest. If this man behind you is in here, he’s probably homeless. But he knew the song, so he might also be a fan looking for some old merch, too.

“I asked who you were. Please, I’m just here exploring,” you’re planning to use the flash on your camera to blind the person before making a run for it, but the voice answers. And it makes your blood run cold as you recognize it at last.

“lying is no way to greet an old pal. turn around and shake my hand.”

Terrified, you shift your leaden feet and come face to chest with Sans Bear, the lights in his sockets out as you look up into his face.

“well?” you notice he’s holding out his hand. He shouldn’t be able to do that. He should have a microphone in that hand. He shouldn’t be able to MOVE FROM THE STAGE. He shouldn’t be saying these unscripted things but you can’t deny him.

Not…not when he could hurt you whether or not he takes your hand.

So you shake hands with Death and hope you live.


	2. Stage 1, Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> will you even wake up at all?
> 
> EDIT: i forgot a paragraph at the beginning HECK

You yelp at the small shock to your hand, and quickly pull back while the animatronic skeleton laughs.

“you were so serious! i couldn’t resist the joybuzzer trick. sorry if I scared you, pal,” the white lights in his sockets were on again, and his voice was at its normal happy tone. “but we heard you talking, and the band thought i should be the one to say hi instead of undyne.”

“W-we? You’re all alive?!” you can’t help yourself as you hold your hand against your body defensively.

Sans rolls his eye lights and steps back, giving you space, “no, I just talk to myself all night. c’mon, of course we are. didn’t you ever notice those winks to the audience when you were a kid? that was not scripted; the wires in here aren’t that good.”

He’s a good foot taller than you, and twice as wide, but it lends to the ‘teddy bear’ aspect you’re sure marketing was going for.

“S-so….Papy and Muffet are waiting behind the curtain?” You ask, earning a wink and a nod. “Can I say hi?” Some part of you is ecstatic, even if the rest is light-headed with shock at how drastically the world has changed in a few seconds.

“sure thing.” Sans offers his hand again, “but you’re looking pale, pal. did my greeting hit a nerve? or maybe a funny bone?” He chuckles, and you hear a frustrated sound from behind the curtain. Just like the old days…

The last thing you hear is the whumph of your fainting body hitting the floor.

“SANS, YOU KILLED THEM!”

“Why did YOU get to kill the human?”

“i didn’t kill them, guys, they fainted. guess it was too much for them that we’re all…us.”

“Maybe we should get Breakfast off their chest before he gets too comfortable?”

You know these voices. You feel at ease as you listen while you’re slowly rising from your unconscious state, floating to the surface with the feeling of nostalgia washing over you.  
And…something metallic rubbing your face?

“Breakfast, stop, please,” a light female voice giggles nearby. “You’re going to rub their skin off at that rate!”

Breakfast was a thing? That could move? Oh….yeah, you remember back in that old theme park. A little muffin that was actually a pet…Breakfast the spider.

Breakfast?!

You snap your eyes open and look around. Sans is sitting next to you, seeming surprised by your sudden wakefulness. There is a purple muffin on your chest, its fuzz covered legs pressing into the skin as its metal tongue slides over your cheek again.

“Breakfast,” you just squeak, and the muffin blinks its blueberry eyes before scuttling back to the plate you remember it sitting on.

“Well,” a thin animatronic with a full maroon skirt with a sailor style top picks up the tray, letting you see all six of her arms and the five blinking black eyes in her face, “good job, sweetheart. You woke the human!”

“THANK GOODNESS! HELLO, HUMAN! WE’RE SO GLAD YOU AREN’T DECEASED!” Papy’s ears were at full attention, and he did indeed look overjoyed to see you awake and alive.

“I….I don’t…Sans?” You look helplessly at Sans, who chuckles and helps you to your feet.

“it’s okay, human. It’s tough to get used to us being real. No problem with that. Just ask your questions and take your time. I won’t let you hit the floor like last time, though, if you do faint again.” His smile was charming and there was a sincerity in his voice you had to trust.

You look around, flinching when you find Undyne’s blue, sharp toothed face so close to yours, and ask, “Wh-what…when did you all come to life? Am I dreaming? Dead? What?”

“Well, as fun as that would be, you aren’t dead,” Undyne huffs, backing off and looking away. “And we’ve always been alive, silly! You humans are just too dumb to notice!”

“I’M AFRAID SHE’S RIGHT ABOUT THE ALWAYS BEING ALIVE THING,” Papy smiled and offered his hand, which you took and began to examine, “WE AREN’T EXACTLY SURE HOW IT GOES, BUT ONCE WE’RE ACTIVATED FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE’RE FULLY ANIMATE!”

“soul and all,” Sans added, tapping his chest. “you’re doing fine. just breathe, okay?”

Remembering something your mother always said, you do some breathing exercises and try to calm down.

Muffet pets Breakfast as she asks, “Sans told us you weren’t being truthful with your purpose here. Now, while we don’t mind if you just needed a place to rest or had a bout of curiosity…” Her smile turned sinister, “we already have enough problems around here, dearie. We won’t harbor a criminal.”

Quickly you answer, “I thought Sans was an intruder, so I was trying to get away. I’m unarmed!” You flap your loose shirt just to show there’s nothing there.

“OH WE KNEW THAT ALREADY! AND WE FOUND YOUR PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR’S BADGE!” Papyrus handed it back to you (along with your wallet) and gave Muffet a gentle pat, “WHAT ARE YOU INVESTIGATING, IF YOU DON’T MIND TELLING US?”

You put your wallet away and try to keep calm, “Well, I was hired to investigate the seven kids that’ve gone missing over the last ten years. I thought it might be a case of run-aways, or…uh….maybe a serial killer.” It felt wrong to talk about things like that with these guys.

Undyne whooped and made you jump, turning to face her. “You can help us! Yes! We’ve been dealing with this stupid thing for so long!”

“undyne, please.” Sans sighs and gets up. “it’s a lot more complex than that. the royals are involved and there’s the whole frisk issue…”

“Frisk?!” You smile, a spark of hope in your heart, “That was the most recent disappearance! Are they okay? Have you seen them?”

“OF COURSE WE HAVE!” Papyrus smiled, finally grabbing your hand and pulling you to your feet fully, “FRISK HAS BEEN TRYING TO HELP US FOR A LONG TIME NOW. THEY’RE A LOVELY HUMAN AND A GOOD FRIEND.”

“Oh thank stars,” you sigh. At least one of the kids was okay. You had been worried about that. “I’m glad to hear that.”

Sans gave a soft sigh, the air whistling through the gaps in his teeth, but his eye lights softened, “there aren’t any more around here, though, kiddo. the others…well, you’ll find out if you stick around long enough. ‘s not pretty.”

And now you feel empty in side, “Sans, did something happen?”

“YEAH IT DID!” Undyne yelled, the speakers in her head making a tinny noise at the intensity of her voice, “But we kinda can’t do squat about it. We don’t even know what’s going on all the way and we live here.”

This confuses you, but Muffet continues the conversation, “At any rate, none of it happened in here. We did see the children, now and again, but they never saw us and we aren’t exactly sure why they haven’t come back.”

Sans confirms their thoughts with a nod, “usually, they’d just dig around the food court and leave when they realized it was empty.”

You nodded, but looked at the animatronics, still in awe at the spark of life in their eyes.

“MAYBE THE HUMAN WOULD LIKE A TOUR? OR AT LEAST INTRODUCE THEM TO THE OTHERS?” Papyrus asked, obviously trying to change the subject to something lighter. Even that was oddly familiar to you, as he often did so in the scripted show they would all put on back in the day.

“would if we could, bro. you know we can’t leave the building.” The sadness in Sans’ voice made you hesitantly put your hand on his arm.

It felt like metal, underneath, but it was not a straight rod. It was like a bone, and you wondered why something that would never be seen would be shaped differently than your average endoskeleton.

Sans gave a smile, “no worries, kiddo. it’s something to do with whatever brought us to life; we have to stay in our section of the park, no matter what. but with every part so close together, we can talk to the other guys pretty easy.”

“At least the ones in the Midway, anyway. We have little contact with anyone else here in the Arcade,” Muffet sighed, making Breakfast whine and tap on his plate with his legs in concern.

“BUT YOU CAN GO!” Papyrus interjected with a happy smile, “AND SEND THE OTHERS OUR BEST WISHES SO THEY KNOW WE THINK ABOUT THEM DESPITE THE DISTANCES.”

How did this happen? you think as you look around at the animatronics. Undyne handing you a letter meant for an animatronic you’ve never heard of before, named Alphys, Sans resting his top hat on your head as he cracks a joke about being stuck even though his laughter never reaches his eyes. These are people. These are people, made of metal and fabric and some sort of magic that you saw as a child but forgot until now. When Papyrus hugs you as the others send you onward to deliver their messages and investigate further, you hug back. The people you loved as a child were real, and alive, even if they were different than what you knew. And that love you had for them had returned, along with a new determination to solve your case.

Not just for the kids, or your boss. No…you wanted to bring some peace to Papyrus, and to Muffet, Sans, and Undyne. You wanted to help them as well as figure out this case. If you could do both, you’d feel like you’d done your all to repay them for the years of happy memories.

You had Sans his hat back before you leave, “I’ll make sure to tell the others exactly what I’m up to. No more fibs here.”

“good,” his fuzzy ears wiggled a bit and made you smile, “take care of yourself, kid. i’m rooting for you.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is very loosely based on both FNAF and Undertale, and more using the setting from one and the characters from the other to tell a different story.  
> I love both series, and am so excited to bring this to everyone.


End file.
